A Spiritual Conversation
by Boolia
Summary: As soon as Miguel leaves for the Land of the Living, Imelda and a dying Hector has a conversation. My version of what might happen as soon as Miguel is blessed, and goes home to get his great grandma to remember her deceased father before he is forgotten forever. Spoilers for Coco


A Spiritual Conversation

As soon as Miguel received Imelda and Hector's blessing, and vanished back to the Land of the Living, Imelda looked at her again dying husband when he groaned in pain yet again. Imelda could see he was going through extreme pain when she saw orange light speeding through him. Hector was fading and was about to go to the place where the forgotten spirits go to. Through she hated to admit it, it was hard to bear that her husband was leaving her for a second time. Oscar, Felipe, Victoria, Julio, Rosita, Pepita, and Dante were watching this very emotional scene enfold before them.

Hector remembered how he was shocked, hurt, and lashed out when he first found out about his so-called friend's betrayal. He felt that it was much more painful as when he felt the poison kick in his stomach back when he was still alive. He also remembered Miguel's pleading voice before he was sent home, and that pained him yet again. He had gone through so much pain and regret, that he was almost glad that all of his suffering was coming to an end. He didn't want Coco to see her Papa in pain. Though Coco might be forgetting him, he finally knew the truth to his death, and his family was by his side.

"Hector," Imelda began, trying to get the words out through her upcoming tears. "I'm so sorry I didn't believe you, and thought the very worst of you. You were trying to make me understand, but I didn't want to listen. I treated you like trash, and shunned you out of Coco and my life, and I convinced the family to do the same, even in the afterlife."

" _Shh!"_ Hector shushed his wife. "It's okay. As long as you forgive me, and you're here now with the family. You do forgive me, don't you?"

"I don't know, Hector. You were trying to come home, but you couldn't because you were murdered." Hector chuckled weakly.

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to come back home after being murdered." Imelda was now mad.

" _Hector,_ you're dying again; _please,_ have some respect!"

"Right, sorry." He then frowned. "I can't believe Ernesto poisoned my drink, and killed me like that. And all to steal my songs, and to top it all off makes a movie scene out of it? What kind of sick and twisted person does that? I was a charming guy who never deserved this. I trusted Ernesto, and he betrayed me by going so low. Some amigo he turned out to be. Miguel was my true amigo." He looked at Imelda. "You all were, my family. If I have known Ernesto was bad, I would have never helped Miguel go there, and put him in danger."

"But you didn't know. Plus, if you hadn't gone, you wouldn't have known about your true nature of your demise. Ernesto would have gotten away with murder, and theft. What Ernesto did to you, Hector, was pure evil, and muy unforgivable, not to mention he attempted to murder a 12-year-old living boy by throwing him off of a building. So he was evil to you when he killed you all of those years ago, and he's shown that he's still evil today with no remorse. Thank goodness Pepita saved Miguel in time." Dante whined. He was glad someone saved him, but was sad because it could have been him if Miguel wasn't so heavy. "But you are kind of still to blame here; you shouldn't have left Coco and I."

"I know. I was estupido back then, but at least I realized my mistake, and tried to get back. It was December, a bit after I turned 21, and I was going to surprise you and Coco as an early Christmas present. What a feliz Navidad that turned out to be."

"Yeah it was, but I..." She was tearing up again, trying to once again control her tears. Why did this have to be so hard for her? Why couldn't she just say it?

" _Imelda_? You were what...?" Imelda looked at him again.

"You were the love of my life and are still in my afterlife, and you will always be. I don't know why but I never remarried, probably foolishly hoping you would return." Hector smiled at this.

"That's okay, I would never think to marry ever again too. You're the love of my life and afterlife too. I can never replace you." Imelda smiled. Everyone was touched by this.

Pain shot through Hector once again. Everyone grew sad again.

" _Hector!_ "

"I'm fading, mi amour. Coco's forgetting about me."

 _"No!_ You can't! Miguel promised he'll make it better, and I have faith in him. We'll be together again, you'll see!" But seeing Hector's pain proved to Imelda that time was running out, and it was probably too late. "I forgive you." Hector managed one last smile.

"That's all I ever wanted. Tell Coco my story, and I'm sorry." He turned to dust, and began to blow away. Dante threw back his head, and howled _._

 _"No; no; no, por farvor!_ I forgive you." She cried and cried, Everyone was weeping now too. There were no dry eyes to be found.

"Imelda," Julio spoke a few moments later. "We should get going."

"Right." Imelda sniffed, wiping away a tear from her eye. "It's just all this time, I've been treating Hector like he was the bad guy. And I still yelled at him, accusing him of putting our great-great grandson in harm's way. I can ever forgive myself."

"It's not your fault. It's Ernesto's for killing him. Plus, he tried to get back home to redeem himself. He was a loving father and a loving husband."

"I know, but I still feel guilty."

"I know you do. Under all that hatred, you really loved him deep down. Still, it's a shame. Murder from your former best friend, what an awful way to go. But just like the first death in life, the Final Death in the afterlife can't be helped." Imelda stood up, and started going off towards her family.

"At least I still have you guys."

"We're not going anywhere for a long time." Rosita said.

"You can count on it!" Oscar added. This made Imelda smile.

Suddenly, something was happening. The orange dust began to come back.

"Everyone, _look!_ " Felipe shouted, pointing his bony figure at where Hector once was. Everyone looked, and was in utter shock as Hector appeared before them. He stood up. He was still dead, but was no longer in pain. Hector was confused as everyone else. He then smiled.

" _Coco!_ " He said with glee. "She must have remembered me. That boy did it!" He was teary-eyed with joy, and did one loud grito. Everyone cheered, except Imelda.

" _Hector!"_ She scolded. "Don't yell; you'll wake up the dead."

"I'm sorry, honey, but I can't help it. I'm just so excited." He did another loud grito. Imelda rolled her eyes in annoyance, but let it slide this time. Dante barked with joy. The skeleton opened his arms for a hug. "Bring it in, Dante!" The alebrije was so excited that he bounded into him. Hector's skeleton body collapsed, but he put himself back together immediately. Imelda kissed her husband. Hector was so relieved. He was never kissed since he was alive, and he loved it. He kissed her right back.

"So, what about the new alebrije?" Oscar wanted to know.

"You're right." Hector said. He was thinking about this when his wife spoke up.

"He'll live with us. I'm sure Miguel won't mind. Dante, was it? He can come and go in between the living and the dead if he wants to."

"With you and Papita?"

"No, you loco, with me, Papita, and _you!"_ Hector was taken aback.

"You don't mean...?" Imelda nodded.

"Did you honestly think after all of this time, you won't be living with me? Husbands and wives live with each other in the living world, heck they're even seen on the same grave or next to it. So, of course we are going to live together, you're restated in the familia." Hector was proud, but also kind of felt like an idiot for thinking Imelda didn't want him in the same house. "Also we need to go shopping to get you new clothes. Right now, looking at you is just depressing. Plus, your hair is a mess. You want to look nice for the next Dia des Meurtos, don't you?"

"Si."

"Then we have no time to lose."

"We have a year."

"It's better to get it out of the way sooner than later. Plus, we don't know how long Coco has until she comes here."

"True, we'll go on a shopping trip later in the day. You are just as un poco loco as I remember."

"Don't push it."

"Sorry."

For 96 years, Hector Rivera was an outsider and an outcast, shunned and being rejected by this own family, the living and dead, all because of Ernesto de la Cruz. He had a rotten afterlife, but despite being dead, right now, never felt more alive.


End file.
